This invention relates to a needle park for needles such as suture needles, particularly a park which can hold in the same location a variety of diameters of needles.
It is well-known to provide a molded three-point contact needle park for surgical and suture needles. Such parks have also been constructed so that the same park can accommodate a variety of diameters of the needles. Particularly useful examples of these are described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,533. The park in such examples comprises: a base; a two-point contact member cantilevered upwardly over the base, the member being generally curved with a concave curve and terminating in two vertically-extending outboard corners; and a solid post member extending upwardly from the base and positioned in-between the corners, the post having a contact end with a separation from the concave curve of the two-point contact member that is effective to receive and grip a needle between the contact end and the corners. When used with curved needles, the needle is positioned so as to curve away from the post member and around the two outboard corners, FIGS. 3 and 4 of said ""533 patent.
Although such a needle park has been very successful and allows for the parking of a variety of needle diameters in the same park, that variety has been less than universal. Thus, the typical diameters accommodated by that needle park has ranged from 0.3 mm (0.012 inch) to 1.0 mm (0.039 inch). That is, it has not been useful also for needles of diameters of 0.2 mm (0.008 inch), 0.254 mm (0.010 inch) and 1.12 or 1.27 mm (0.044 or 0.050 inch), all of which are conventional sizes.
Furthermore, certain needles known as cutting edge needles are edged along their length so as to provide a cutting action. To this end, the needle is generally triangular in transverse cross-section, at least at the portion fitting within the needle park. It can be shown that, with such a triangular cross-section positioned in a three-point contact park, the post contact in-between the two outboard contacts will prevail, as against the outboard contacts, regarding the direction of pivot of the triangle and hence of the curved needle. That is, when the curved needle is positioned to curve away from the in-between post contact, as in the ""533 patent, the effect is to cause the triangle to rotate outwardly and up from the post contact, that is, to cause the ends of the needle to pivot away from the base of the park. Because one of those ends is pointed and very sharp, this can create a needle-prick hazard to any unwary user of the needle park. It can also cause a needle end to prematurely puncture any sterile wrapping, compromising the sterility.
Thus, prior to this invention, there has been a need to provide a needle park that will both accommodate a greater variety of sizes of needles, and, when used with a curved cutting edge needle, will ensure that the ends of such curved needle remain flat against the base of the park away from free encounter with the skin of a user or of any wrapping.
I have constructed a needle park which solves the aforementioned need.
More specifically, in accord with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a needle park for securing a needle, the park comprising: a base; a two-point contact member cantilevered upwardly over the base, the member being generally curved with a concave curve and terminating in two vertically-extending outboard corners; and a post member extending upwardly from the base and positioned in-between the corners, the post having a contact end with a separation from the concave curve of the two-point contact member that is effective to receive and grip a needle between the contact end and the corners, the post member further including a collapsible slit extending at least partway into the post member from the contact end; so that a wide range of diameters of needles can be forced to fit between the members of the needle park, by collapsing the post end at the slit when any one of the needles is forced to fit in said separation.
In accord with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a needle park for securing a needle, the park comprising: a base; a two-point contact member cantilevered upwardly over the base, the member being generally curved with a concave curve and terminating in two vertically-extending outboard corners; and a post member extending upwardly from the base and positioned in-between the corners, the post having a contact end with a separation from the concave curve of the two-point contact member that is effective to receive and grip a needle between the contact end and the corners; and a curved needle fitted and held between the members, the needle being curved around the post member and away from the two-point curved contact member, so that the curved needle is biased downwardly towards the base.
In accord with still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of safely mounting a curved cutting edge needle in a needle park, the park comprising: a base; a two-point contact member cantilevered upwardly over the base, the member being general curved with a concave and terminating in two vertically-extending outboard corners; and a post member extending upwardly from the base and positioned in-between the corners, the post having a contact end with a separation from the concave curve of the two-point contact member that is effective to receive and grip a needle between the contact end and the corners; the method comprising the step of positioning a curved cutting edge needle above the separation and generally horizontal to the base, so that the needle curves around the post member and away from the two-point curved contact member; and forcing the needle to be gripped between the members by pushing the needle so positioned down into said separation causing at least the cantilevered two-point contact member to pivot out of the way of the needle.
Accordingly, it is an advantageous feature of the invention that a greater variety of needle diameters can be accommodated within the same needle park.
It is another advantageous feature of the invention that such a needle park can be used to safely mount a cutting edge needle to ensure that its ends, and particularly the sharp pointed end, remain pivoted down against the base of the needle park, and out of harm""s way.
Other advantageous features will become apparent upon reference to the following Detailed Description, in light of the attached drawings.